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29 March 2012

What's So Exciting About the 1940 Census?

I think my co-workers think I'm a little crazy. Ask me what's new or what I've been up to lately and I'll start gushing excitedly about the upcoming release of the 1940 census. I mostly get a blank look before they remember that I do genealogy as a hobby (I probably offered to look their ancestors up at some point). I've has some funny responses, including "oh, you mean that thing they did a few years ago - I didn't fill that out."

I have Monday and Tuesday off from work (random chance) and my mom is working evening shifts. I've already told her that I'll be putting her to work (to which she responded with a "oh really, you think so do you?" look). If our internet isn't going fast enough (it's basic DSL) I might go sit in the coffee shop at B&N to see if theirs is any faster (also, I wouldn't mind a brownie). I'm prepared for site delays or crashes, but I'm also hoping for the best. Typing this I feel like I'm getting even more excited for Monday.

But why am I so excited? I'm pretty much geeking out about the 1940 Census and my co-workers don't really get it. Heck, I've read blog posts by genealogists who say that they're not that excited. So let me explain "why."

I ♡ genealogy.

One of the reasons I love genealogy is because it's like a puzzle. Finding my family in the 1940 census will be like one big giant puzzle (where's Waldo...?). I have a good number of ancestors who were alive in 1940 that I want to find.

The census will provide new information or clarify information I already have: jobs, relationships, locations, etc. Even if I already know where they lived from city directories, I'm still going to gain information from the new records.

I ♡ old documents. Even if I don't get any new information (but I will!), I will still have a new record of each ancestor. A new document that lists their name = exciting.

The attention that the census release will bring to genealogy is great. More people doing family history research can only be a good thing. More money for companies, more volunteers = more records available online. Yay!

1 comment:

I ♡ that you ♡ genealogy. I would not know as much about my family if you did not ♡ genealogy so much. Many of your relatives tried to research our family and gave up. But not you. Your ♡ of genealogy is fantastic!

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